more tonight at 6:00. hope to see you then. >> breaking news tonight, and it's a bombshell prosecutors now say baseball legend david ortiz was not the intended target. instead, he was shot in a case of mistaken identity a shocking turn of events and who authorities say was the real target a hazardous emergency, a train loaded with military explosives, grenades, and small arms derails sending a plume of smoke and white powder billowing from the wreckage. hazmat teams racing to the scene fearing a dangerous explosion. captain sully, the hero pilot from the miracle on the hudson blasts boeing over the 737 max disasters. >> these accidents should never have happened. >> and tonight his new warning about what has to happen before the planes get back in the air. joe biden coming

under fire from fellow democrats, what he said about civility in the past and getting things done with segregationist senators that sparked sharp reaction a deadly highway inferno, a tractor-trailer slamming into oncoming traffic exploding in a massive fire ball and another semi plunging off an overpass and when every second counts, a frightening robo calls crisis tonight hospitals threatening of crisis. good evening, as we come on the air there is breaking news from the dominican republic where late today prosecutors dropped a bombshell, revealing that red sox legend david ortiz was not, in fact, the intended target of a shooting that left him injured in a bar less than two weeks ago. rather they say it was a case of mistaken identity morgan chesky is in the dominican republic tonight.

morgan, what do we know about this >> reporter: lester, good evening, we're learning new details coming from a press conference happening as we speak about the coordinated attack on the former red sox star david ortiz when he was shot in the back at point blank range. the attorney general in a press conference that's happening ongoing said this was a case of mistaken identity. and ortiz was not the intended target instead it was supposed to be a friend of his who frequented that same restaurant and always sat at that same table. the shooter was shown a photo taken moments before he entered the restaurant, and it looked like the target was wearing white pants when in fact ortiz was the one wearing white pants. so, when the gunman approached, he mistakenly shot ortiz in the back thinking he was the target 11 people ys after the have been arrested so far, including the alleged gunman and authorities are still looking for the person who funded that hit. meanwhile back in boston, big papi is in the hospital and doctors have upgraded his condition to good. lester

>> morgan chesky with that late development. thank you. heart stopping moments today when a train carrying military explosives including grenades and small arms derailed in nevada a hazardous material alert was declared and we get details from miguel almaguer. >> reporter: when emergency teams reached the wreckage, smoke and the white powder could be seen billowing from the train. loaded with military ammunitions, the interstate was shut down, the public ordered to stay away more than 20 cars flew off the tracks near elko, nevada officials confirms aluminum oxide was also on board. >> ammunition explosives were at the back of the train. >> reporter: with hazmat teams responding, the loca sheriffs say a decontamination process is under way, but there's no threat to it's believed the weapons were not in the cars over turned >> there were protocols that the railroads follow for proper placement of such dangerous commodities.

>> reporter: after fearing the worst, authorities shut down interstate 80 not far from the city of wells. with no confirmation on what caused the crash, officials say they dodged a bullet after a train carrying high grade weapons overturned the pilot who was the hero of the miracle on the hudson landing is blasting boeing for the troubled 737 max sully sullen berger issued a new warning of what he thinks needs to happen before those planes can get back in the air. here's tom costello. >> reporter: he may be the most trusted pilot in america, the man who saved 155 people on the hudson river 10 years ago took boeing and the faa to task for the two fatal crashes that killed 346 people overseas >> our current system of aircraft design and certification has failed us. these accidents should never have happened. >> reporter: before last october's crash, boeing never told pilot of a new antistall system called mcaz

blamed for both crashes now captain sully who just flew the max in a simulator said pilots must have simulator tra training before they fly the max again. >> we must face it firsthand in the simulator before we face a crisis in flight with an airplane full of passengers and crew >> reporter: boeing has opposed mandator simulation time saying ipad training will be enough >> they let the traveling public down in a fatal and catastrophic way. >> reporter: tonight boeing says safety is a shared priority and we're working closely with our industry partners to learn from these tragedies, answer their questions and take steps to re-earn people's trust. boeing saying it's still not scheduled an faa test flight the u.s. airlines are hoping it's approved for flight by late august

lester. >> tom costello, thanks joe biden is under fire this evening as his rivals pounce on comments he made about working along side segregationist senators in the past with more on that here's peter alexander. >> reporter: joe biden made the remarks at a fundraiser last nigh pushing back against liberal critics saying his willingness is old fashioned biden recalling his early senate career, bricking up others who called african americans an inferior race i was in a caucus with james eastland he never called me boy, he always called me son at least there was some civility we got things done we didn't agree of much of anything we got things done the backlash immediate including from 2020 rivals >> to coddle the reputation of segregationists, of people who if they had their way i would literally not be standing here as a member of the united states senate, i think it's misinformed and it's wrong. >> reporter: cory booker demanding an apology saying you

don't joke about calling black men boys i have to tell joe biden as someone i respect that he's wrong for using those examples as relationships of how to bring our country together biden has long touted his civil rights record and has strong support in the african-american community. tonight james clyburn rushing to his side this from a veteran biden adviser. >> he didn't embrace their positions. it's a story told many times and the point of the story is that you have to be able to work with people even if they hold positions repugnant to you >> biden made the comment despite his aides having long urged him not to discuss those relationships. lester. >> peter alexander thanks no a highl

anticipated testimony from hope hicks. hicks not answering questions from casey hunt. democrats say she didn't answer many of their questions either with white house lawyers raising objections meantime, president trump is pushing full speed ahead with his 2020 re-election campaign after a kick off that touched o the themes that helped him win the white house the first time here's hallie jackson. >> reporter: in front of a crowd hungry for the hits, the president delivering >> i stand before you to officially launch my campaign for a second term. >> reporter: president trump officially kicking off hi re-election push in front of ten os of thousands of supporters and along side his wife >> he truly loves hi >> reporter: the 202 launch feeling a lot like 2016 with the similar strategy, fire up his base, again, on topics from trade -- >> we're either going to have a good deal or not at all. >> reporter: -- to immigration -- >> our immigration laws are a disgrace >> reporter: -- to the

media. familiar faces and foes as the president railed against someone he's not even running against. >> crooked hillary crooked hillary clinton. >> reporter: the difference is now th podium's presidential seal and a new twist on an old slogan >> you ready keep america great >> reporter: some of the democrats hoping to win the white house themselves like senator kamala harris are blasting the president, arguing he's looking backwards. lester >> hally jackson at the white house, thanks in the middle east there's a new point of friction with iran after a rocket attack. our bill neely has the latest >> reporter: tonight americans evacuated and fears growing after a short range rocket slammed into the iraqi headquarters of exxon mobil. 21 workers flown out iranian backed militia now blamed by iraqi securitys. news today of two other attacks

in two days on bases housing u.s. military personal in iraq. this comes after explosions on oil tankers last week. the u.s. navy showing evidence says is an iranian mine and the magnet that fixed it to the side of the ship. >> the mine that was used does bear a striking resemblance to that which wa iranian military parades. >> the u.s. navy now saying they have high confidence that was caused by a mine we're also learning the u.s. has finger prints of at least one. >> reporter: iran denies it carried out the attacks. all this as another 1,000 american troops are being sent to the region. president trump says the tanker attacks are very minor. but the number of strikes and threats on u.s. facilities in the region is growing, causing u.s. officials real concern. lester >> bill neely, thanks.

prosecutors charge four men today in the shooting down of a passenger plane five years ago over ukraine all 298 people on board that plane were killed. richard engel has details. >> reporter: after nearly five years of pain-staking work, international investigators finally named the suspects they say were responsible for shooting down a passenger jet over ukraine >> i just want to know the truth. this is the truth. >> reporter: the malaysian airlines flight was traveling from amsterdam in july 2014 as it crossed over ukraine, it was hit. investigators say by a russian antiaircraft missile sending bodies and luggage into fields below. today investigators said three russian intelligence officers and the commander of a russian backed militia in ukraine would be charged with murder under dutch law. the research group helped link russian intelligence directly to the disaster

>> russia says it didn't shoot down that plane. >> they faked evidence they faked a satellite photograph at some point you just have to stop taking them seriously. >> reporter: investigats think the plan was likely shot down by accident russia and kremlin backed militias were fighting against the ukrainian government at the time and may have confused the passenger jet for an enemy aircraft moscow again denied involvement and prosecutors believe it's highly unlikely russia would hand over the suspects to a dutch court lester >> richard, thank you. tonight violent storms are pushing across the country including a threat of tornados al roker is tracking it all al, where's it headed? >> lester, severe thunderstorm watches, tornado watches stretching from texas all the way to the mississippi river valley 43 million people at risk for flash flooding and tonight we've got 14 states under severe we've got 24 million people at risk for possibility of tornados

east coast tomorrow, 10 states, damaging winds, hail, 49 million people at risk and airports will be a mess from new york, cleveland, washington, charlotte, atlanta, strong storms causing delays a real mess for wind and ponding roads. lester okay al, thanks dramatic moments today at a fiery hearing on a hot button issue, over whether the descendants of slaves should receive reparations. we'll get more on this from jeff bennett. >> reporter: tonight congress is considering the controversial concept of reparations for african-americans, payments or policies aimed at repairing the lingering effects of slavery and discrimination house democrats today calling for a bipartisan commission inviting the journalist of the 2014 article that reignited the debate >> why should the federal government bear responsibility for economic and social damages for descendents of slaves?

>> i think the most obvious reason is because the federal government is complicit in it. >> reporter: many 2020 democratic hopefuls backing some form of reparations. most republicans reject the idea >> i think we're so far removed from the event >> we've tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, by passing landmark civil rights legislation. we elected an african-american president. >> reporter: a new chapter in a growing national debate. jeff bennett, nbc news washington just a week until the first democratic debate here on nbc and tonight in our series "my big idea" senator amy klobuchar tells harry smith about an issue that hits close to home for her >> what's your big idea >> my big idea is that we need to really do something about treating mental health and fighting addiction >> when amy klobuchar runs for office, she wins big elected to the u.s. senate three times by margins of 20 points or more.

she is both minnesota nice and a former prosecutor. >> i will focus on getting things done. that's what i've done my whole life >> reporter: it was the first day of this year's des moines farmer's market when we caught up with klobuchar at the downtown coffee shop, java joe's addiction and mental health for her are issues that hit home >> my dad struggled with alcoholism his whole life he went to treatment and in his words he was pursued by grace that was his faith and that was the treatment. that was the community, his friends, his family surrounding him and saying you've got to change and he did >> reporter: klobuchar wants $100 billion over ten years in part for more beds in treatment centers and early intervention for mental health disorder she'll fund her plan with taxes on and lawsuits against opioid manufacturers. >> we have the resources in this country. we do. and we have to take

them from the pockets of the people that have been profiting on the addiction and help people get off these drugs. >> reporter: fighting addiction, treating mental health. that's amy klobuchar's big idea harry smith, nbc news. >> more tomorrow when elizabeth warren shares her big idea just ahead, the robo call invasion they're not just annoying hospitals now warning they could put lives at risk. and a deadly horror on the highway.

we're all annoyed by the incessant robo calls but now some hospitals say they're a matter of life and phone lines. here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: at th medical university of south carolina in charleston, robo calls could be more than a nuance >> it could be a matter of life and death. >> reporter: the manager of security says they've become a life threatening problem. health care workers across the

country flooded with robo calls >> very frustrating. it's confusing to the people who are trying to take care of patients they're expecting legitimate calls to come in. >> reporter: scammers often use a techniqu known as spoofing to cover your tracks the call appears to come from your area code and that tricks hospitals into thinking it's a local patient. patients are claiming scammers are masking their numbers pretending to call from hospitals according to one estimate there are 163 million calling every day in america that number has tripled over the last three years. >> when are telecom companies going to crack down on this >> i think they're going to self-police until there are better legislation that puts consequences in place. >> reporter: for medical teams a frightening thought. >> the worst case scenario for me is we have a denial of attacks. that's a flood of calls that come at all one time

and that creates an emergency situation. >> reporter: and call to action with so much on the line next tonight a deadly inferno on the highway.

at least two people have died in a fiery crash involving two semitrucks on a wisconsin interstate ron allen has the story. >> just got some type of major incident >> reporter: a roaring inferno, a semitractor-trailer dangling off an interpass. mid-afternoon traffic backed up for miles in both directions investigators say it appears one semi plowed through a center construction median causing several vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to crash another truck driver turned to avoid causing what could have been a worse pile up that's the truck that went off the bridge >> this unfortunate deceased individual is a hero by turning down and risking his

own life to avoid crashing into innocent people. >> reporter: both truck drivers died two other motorists with burns and fractures rushed to the hospital investigators looking for answers of what caused the crash. we're going to tell you about a mom's life saving gift that is inspiring america.

next at 6:00, taking issue with google. the rally that had employees siding with protesters. in tonight's inspiring america, a mom, a firefighter, and a life-saving gift here's kevin tibbles >> reporter: have you heard the one about the angel who walked into a bar so, you were wearing this behind the bar? >> yep >> reporter: that's how bill cox describes what happened to him when he needed a kidney transplant. becca bundy showed up at the viking bar in the remote iron range in minnesota >> he had a shirt on that said

he was in need of a kidney what sparked the interest was that he had his blood type on his shirt. i knew that my blood type matched his. >> you think it was destiny? >> i think so. >> reporter: becca had seen bill before because bill is also a volunteer firefighter and was the first to arrive after she dialled 911 one night when her daughter was seriously ill. becca always wanted to pay it back this was her chance. >> hi, bill. doing okay >> reporter: the kidney transplant went ever so smoothly nowadays everyone's family you call him bill? >> yeah. >> i feel really he's given me and my family so much >> repr: so he carved becca a wooden angel. >> she saved my life >> do you find it odd

all these angels are hanging around a bar >> i don't think it's odd. i think angels are everywhere >> reporter: we can all raise a glass to that my goodness, what a wonderful twist of right now at 6:00, protesting a silicon valley joint. and taking action. we investigate the move pg&e is making in the bay area to protect you against wildfires. but first, three south baya. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening, thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang. a man dead, a 12-year-old hurt and three cars full of

bullet holes. tonight drivers all over the south bay are on edge, because since mondaybeen three separate shootings on local freeways. late monday night a man was killed on 680 here in milpitas. 24 hours later, a bullet barely missed a girl riding in a car in 680 in san jose. and last night, a bullet hit a car on highway 85. that last shooting provided critical evidence, a bullet. robert handa joins us now. what should drivers know? >> reporter: i'll tell you what, unfortunately freeway shootings are becoming a little more common these days. and very often, verydrivers, es the victims at that time, can't offer much help. but this time, things are a little different. at first, the three south bay